Cockpit Office Armchair: Poltrona Frau Meets Ferrari

Neither a car seat nor a pure piece of furniture or design. It is a contemporary hybrid that brings together two brands, two imaginations, two industrial philosophies to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Maranello carmaker.

A new object that perfectly translates a dream into reality. This is an office chair that captures the excitement, speed and dynamism of the driver’s seat, as well as the passion for racing. And that transmits a pleasant sensation because the backrest and seat support movements and posture. A blend of automotive know-how and the culture of living.

Conceived and designed by the design team overseen by Flavio Manzoni, which designed the recent Ferrari models (including the LaFerrari Aperta, the GTC4Lusso and the 812 Superfast), its iconic profile launches itself into the space enveloping its body. A 3D structure, an amalgam of aesthetic beauty and ergonomic perfection applied to seats for workspaces. The result of a new meeting between two leading Italian companies.

Poltrona Frau has long since upholstered the interiors of Ferrari cars and now takes on a new highly complex challenge.

The sophisticated cast aluminium mechanism engineered by the Poltrona Frau Research and Development Centre, based on the Ferrari Design Centre’s idea and design, is the foundation of Cockpit’s ergonomics. The activation levers extend like two wings beneath the seat, clearly referencing the steering wheel controls in sports cars. The right lever lets you adjust the seat height with a gas spring – hidden by special aluminium casings. The left lever activates the inclining and tilting oscillation movement thanks to designated leaf springs, with upright position locking system. 360° armchair rotation completes the functions.

The President model bears the Ferrari horse in relief on the leather upholstery of the headrest. All models and versions bear the Ferrari logo in relief on the front end of the mechanism at the top of the seat, as well as the Ferrari Design logo on the cover of the mechanism beneath the chair. On the seatback there is a metal tag bearing the Poltrona Frau brand.

Along with the construction techniques, great care was taken in the look and upholstery, available in five versions inspired by the liveries of the Ferrari Tailor-made personalisation service, which lets you have your vehicles tailor-outfitted. These five different versions reference the liveries from the three “Scuderia”, “Classica” and “Inedita” lines, with precious visible edge stitching. In particular, the “Scuderia 1” and “Classica 1” versions have a central strip sewn onto the seat and backrest.

The Cockpit is a place where concentration, quick reflexes and intuition join with a will to win. It is a space where the driver comes into contact with their car, assumes the correct driving position on the seat and drives the vehicle around corners. The contact between the body and the seat creates dynamic sensations that help the driver to control the car as efficiently as possible.

The armchair has an architectural and modular structure and offers expansion possibilities. For the moment two versions are available, the President and the Executive. Both comprise a reclining base and seat, integrated with two different backrests. The President is the managerial model with a high backrest that offers generous support for the top half of the body and which is inspired by the ergonomics of competitive racing seats. The Executive model, a chair that adapts to all work contexts, has a deliberately low and narrow backrest to ensure freedom of movement.

The design is a synthesis of automotive innovation and inspiration, the product of Ferrari’s 70 years of experience. Every element connects with the brand’s DNA, with its ability to create a perfect balance between performance and timeless elegance. With its experience in the processing of leather and the creation of iconic chairs, Poltrona Frau moulds the materials, shapes the padding, designs and creates the most sophisticated and high-performance mechanisms.

The central band on the seat takes its cue from racing seats. The materials are the same as those used in Ferrari cars. The external shell is moulded from carbon or alutex. Poltrona Frau has concentrated the very highest ergonomic know-how in the mechanism used to adjust the position of the backrest and the height of the seat. The swivel device sports the same design and mechanical elements as the steering wheel, the 5-spoke base comes in the two polished or powder-coated aluminium finishes in matt racing grey.

For the leather upholstery, the Ferrari Design Centre team has chosen shades and finishes inspired by the trim of the three Tailor-Made service lines, which allow for the customised configuration of the car: Scuderia, Classica and Inedita. Cockpit can also be customised in terms of its colours and materials.